Who is Lionel Messi’s father Jorge Messi?

• Was Lionel Messi’s father responsible for his problems with the treasury?
• What do the emails that Jorge Messi sent to Barcelona say?
• Jorge Messi’s role in the 2016 tax evasion trial.

In 2013, news shook the world of soccer — Lionel Messi, the most successful Argentine player of the last decade, was being investigated by the Spanish tax authorities who accused Messi’s father and the player of tax evasion totaling more than 4 million euros.

After a three-year investigation, there was a trial and both the player and his father, who also acted as his representative, were sentenced to 21 months in prison and fines totaling 2.9 million euros. Learn more about Jorge Messi!

Who is Lionel Messi’s father?

Jorge Horacio Messi was born in Argentina in 1958. The descendant of Italian immigrants, he dedicated himself to working for many years in a factory located in Rosario, Argentina. In his spare time, he watched his son Lionel’s talent for soccer grow. So much so that in 2011 Club Barcelona FC took an interest in the young man, who at that time was barely a teenager. This led Jorge Messi to move to Spain and start a new path managing his son’s career.

Jorge Messi has stood out for getting Lionel million-dollar contracts with the best teams in the world and with recognized brands such as Adidas, Nike and Gatorade. However, he has also been involved in legal problems, which led to a 2016 trial for tax evasion.

The role of Messi’s father in his tax evasion trial

In 2013  Messi’s father began to be investigated by the Spanish tax authorities for alleged tax fraud. At that time, the Argentine player claimed to be unaware of the cause of the lawsuit, saying that he was only a teenager when ‘ghost’ foundations were created in tax havens which generated million-dollar profits. The authorities claimed he had unpaid taxes amounting to 4 million euros.

Jorge Messi highlighted as the main person responsible for Lionel’s tax situation, since he had created the foundations in the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Switzerland, countries in which tax laws did not contemplate double taxation. In addition those countries didn’t require names of the owners of the accounts.

Jorge Messi’s emails to the Barcelona club

In addition to being found guilty of tax evasion by the Spanish tax authorities, Messi’s father also faced controversy when a Spanish media outlet disclosed requests he made to the Catalan club. Many interpreted these as alleged extortion for the player stay with the team. Among the terms proposed by Jorge Messi, was a bonus of 10 million euros, to which an annual interest of 3% would be added.

He also requested a private box at the Camp Nou stadium, not only for Lionel and his family, but also for Uruguayan player Luis Suárez, and a private jet so that Messi and his entire family could spend Christmas in Argentina. In the end, the negotiations did not materialize and the world champion left Barcelona to play with Paris Saint-Germain.

Jorge’s role as Messi’s representative

Jorge Horacio is not only Messi’s father; to many, he is considered a mastermind who has been able to monetize his son’s career to the fullest, generating millions in income thanks to his alliances with internationally renowned brands, managing his profits strategically and negotiating contracts with their clubs.

Despite the controversies and legal situations Messi and his father continue to work together. The world champion has repeatedly stated that he blindly trusts his father’s decisions.